The story behind the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Dani California”
“Black bandana sweet Louisiana
Robbing a bank in the state of Indiana
She is a rebel runner and a stunner
Coming all the way saying baby what I’m gonna see
Barrel jumps looking down forty-five
Another way to survive
California rest in peace
Simultaneous release
I will show you California
This is my priest, I am your priest
She is a child lover and a fighter
Shoulda seen it coming when it got a little brighter
With the name Dan California
The demons gonna come when I was gonna moan yeah
A little alone she stole another breath
I love my baby to death”
– Excerpt from the song “California Danes”, by the Red Hot Chili Peppers
The song “Dani California” is the first single from the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ ninth studio album, Stadium Arcade, released on Warner Brothers. Recorded in May of 2006. Lyrics mentions Dani California, a character who previously appeared in RHCP’s “Californication” and “By the Way”. There are different opinions about the history behind the name. The first story proposes that “Dani” was the girlfriend of Piper’s front man Anthony Kiedis named Danielle, with whom he had Bonnie & Clyde runs some kind of relationship where you do drugs, and then connected to robbery. Anthony’s father also took part in the selling of poisons and was almost the author. Danielle is said to have disappeared in California before making it to Minnesota in what was to be their biggest heist. So Kiedis named the Danes California. In some ways and in some parts, the song may represent the typical southern rebellious girl or girls that she used to be, but in particular, she is talking about this Danielle.
But Kiedis has publicly claimed that Dan’s California was a collage of real-life past lovers who set him on a rocky road to superstardom.
The video of the film to accompany the song has generated a great deal of discussion. Some fans speculate that the video is an homage to the ties that inspired the band’s music, and the era to which they belonged. The base player Flea was quoted in the June 2006 issue of “UK Classic Rock Magazine” as saying “We most age, not really: rock, British Invasion, psychedelia, glam, funk, punk, goth, hair metal, grunge, and they are the sum of all those parts.
Performed in black and white, the scenes begin with singer Antonio Kiedis performing as Elvis Presley, worshiping his hands. in order of appearance: The Beatles (recreating their legendary performance on the Ed Sullivan show), Jimi Hendrix/Cream, Parliament-Funkadelic with Flea dressed as Bootsy Collins, glam band composed with Marc Bolan and David Bowie, The Sex Pistols, The. The Misfits, an 80’s glam-metal band (probably Poison or Twisted Sister or Aerosmith), and finally Nirvana (a parody of their famous MTV Unplugged performance). The video enters the final stretch with the Chili Peppers playing under the huge RHCP logo.
A controversy also follows about the song. The band was charged with lifting key aspects of the single “Dani California” from Tom Petty’s “Mary Jane’s Last Dance.” One commentator said: “The chorus progression, the melody, the tempo, the key, the lyrical theme are all the same.” Both songs have the same producer, Rick Rubin. The representatives of the artists did not come forward to report the similarities, nor were lawsuits initiated. Lawrence M. “super-fan” said to me, “You can’t appeal using a similar string development. It’s stolen.”
Arguments all around the origin of the drop, reaction to the song and the album, have been mixed. On the popular fan forum StadiumArcadium.com, ratings ranged from 1 out of 10 to 10 out of 10. A small percentage of the latter rated the album 3 or 4 out of 10, while most gave it a 10. Those who rated it. The previous comments often praised Pepper’s willingness to change the sound, to experiment. Fans in the middle say the album isn’t bad, but it lacks popular albums like 1991’s “Blood Sugar” Sex Magik, 1995’s “One Hot Minute” and 1995’s “Californication.” Reviewers of the latter complained that the album was “too commercial,” “too pop,” and “just didn’t do anything for me,” among others.
Critical reviews also cover A wide spectrum of opinions about the album. Rock BBC & Alt Review (http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/rockandalt/reviews/rhcp_stadiumarcadium.shtml) called it “a multifaceted must.” Alex Lai of ContactMusic.com said of the single, “The verse strums with funky confidence (and even resembles Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama”), while the chorus bursts with fantastic energy. Although Massa dismissed the album as “indulgent and lacking in cohesion,” the song pulled as “one that really captures the heart”.
“Arcadian Stadium” and “Dani California” are available on iTunes: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=152722084&s;=143441
grungeand Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=as2&path;=ASIN/B000EMGAOY&tag;=slavetotheword&camp;=1789&creative;=9325&tag=einfovn-20
Report:
- Resources: Red Hot Chili Peppers Official Website: http:// www.redhotchilipeppers.comStadiumArcadium website: < a href="http://www.stadiumarcadium.com/" rel="nofollow">www.stadiumarcadium.com Brief Band Bio: www.associatedcontent.com/article/29146/bio_for_the_red_chili_peppers.htmlAC of “Arcadium Stadium < a href="http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/32542/are_the_chili_peppers_still_red_hot.html" rel="nofollow">www.associatedcontent.com/article/32542
